A BIT ABOUT WAKEFIELD

Wakefield, a former coal-mining community, saw its fortunes plummet after the pit closures of the 1980s, but it remains a great city to explore.

The nearby Yorkshire Sculpture Park, established in 1977, has works by esteemed locals such as Henry Moore, born in nearby Castleford, and Wakefield-born Barbara Hepworth, whose work can also be viewed at The Hepworth gallery, which stands on the southern gateway of the city and was completed in 2010.

One of the city’s crowning glories is its beautiful opera house. It was designed by renowned architect Sir Frank Matcham in 1894, and a young Julie Andrews once appeared on its stage.

A church was built by the Normans on the original site of a Saxon church and, extended over the centuries, in 1888 became the cathedral which still dominates Wakefield’s town centre.

Noel Gay, the lyricist and popular songwriter who composed many famous morale-boosting wartime hits such as Run Rabbit Run, The Lambeth Walk and The Sun Has Got His Hat On, was a chorister at Wakefield Cathedral during his early years.